The invention herein pertains to commercial washing devices and particularly pertains to washers for cleaning poultry pads.
Poultry nest pads as used on poultry farms have generally been formed of synthetic materials in recent years. Such pads are usually more expensive than previous straw and natural fiber pads but are more durable and can be used for longer periods of time. However, such pads become soiled and caked with droppings and other debris and require cleaning to maintain the poultry houses in a safe, sanitary condition. In the past such poultry pads have been cleaned by passing them along a conveyor having a high pressure spray as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,460. Other pad cleaning devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,560 and 4,453,386. However, it has been found that high pressure spraying will not completely remove the droppings and debris due in part to the thickness of the poultry pads. Also, crushing or pulverizing the droppings during the cleaning process likewise does not thoroughly clean the pads since pulverizing sometimes increases, rather than decreases the tenacity of the attached debris.
Thus, in view of the problems and disadvantages associated with prior art cleaning methods and equipment, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a poultry pad washer which can be easily conveyed such as by a vehicle from one location to another and can be set up and operated on site by a single worker.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a poultry pad washer which has a large capacity and is quick and efficient in its cleaning operation.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a poultry pad washer which has a rotatable tub to xe2x80x9ctumblexe2x80x9d the poultry pads during the washing process.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a poultry pad washer having pivotal side guards to protect from inadvertent accidents and injury during washing.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a poultry pad washer which can be easily emptied and refilled after washing for the next washing cycle.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.
The aforesaid and other objectives are realized by providing a washer for poultry pads and the like which has a wheeled frame and a vehicle hitch affixed thereto. Positioned on the frame is a tub which rotates around its horizontal axis as defined by a central interior water conduit. Pivotal side guards are mounted on each side of the washer tub to prevent accidents and injuries to workers as the tub rotates. In use, the washer is pulled by a vehicle such as a pickup truck to a suitable location near a poultry barn. A water source such as a well or the like is then located and a hose such as a conventional garden hose is then connected to the water source and to an electric booster pump mounted on the frame which in turn is connected to a 110V power source. The door on the tub is opened and soiled poultry pads (300-400) are placed therein. The door is then secured and the small horsepower (5xc2xd hp) drive engine, which may be gasoline or diesel but could also be an electric motor, is then started and the pump is activated. As the tub rotates the central water conduit sprays the tumbling pads with water. A drain gate valve at the bottom of the tub remains opened to allow dirty water to continuously exit at each tub revolution. Baffles within the tub provide agitation to the pads as they are tumbled. Once a sufficient time has passed (such as twenty minutes depending on the number of pads washed), the engine is stopped and the pump turned off. The tub door is then opened and the washed pads are removed for drying. Additional dirty pads are then placed in the tub and the wash cycle is repeated.